1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the apparatus and method related to generating electricity and directing it to applications within or outside of a given structure via harnessing the energy imparted on a doorway when it is acted upon by an outside force.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to the ever increasing global reliance on fossil fuels and non-renewable resources, there is a growing need to develop renewable energy technologies. Throughout the world there are a number of structures that experience an extremely high value of foot traffic through their entranceways on a daily basis. Every time a door is opened by an outside force acts on the doorway. Energy is imparted to a door when it is opened, but this energy is either wasted, or captured in an inefficient or unfeasible manner. There exists great potential to generate vast amounts of electricity if a highly efficient system is developed to capture the kinetic energy of an opening door and generate electricity from it. Generated electricity can either be stored in batteries or routed directly to a host of applications either inside or outside of a given structure. Applications include passive heating and cooling, security screening equipment, mobile device charging stations, alarm and fire systems, vending machines, and any and all applications within or outside of a building. Present methods of supplementing traditional electricity sources include solar panels. Unfortunately the efficiency and yield of solar panels is restricted by weather and lighting conditions. A system that generates electricity from the action of doors could generate vast amounts of electricity in a highly predictable, less constrained, more efficient manner.
Electrical generators such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,236,152 and 7,795,746 involve either bulky and inefficient designs that do not maximize the generated electricity. Both designs do not generate a maximum of electricity because the sweep of the door at the hinge side is much less then at the side opposite the hinges. The more sweep that is captured, the more revolutions in the generator that translates to, the more generated electricity. Also, integration into a doorway of both generators is extremely complex as the devices are not modular, and involve extensive retrofitting or installation into the doorway itself.
Thus, there is a needed for an improved energy generator that may be interfaced with a doorway.